Richardson’s official statement on selling the team does not mention the accusations, nor does it give any specific reason for his decision. “I believe that it is time to turn the franchise over to new ownership,” he said. “I will put the team up for sale at the conclusion of this NFL season. We will not begin the sale process, nor will we entertain any inquiries, until the very last game is played.”

What price can the Panthers fetch?

The last 15 US pro sports teams to sell (NFL, NBA, or MLB) have all fetched price tags far above their Forbes franchise valuation at the time. It’s a sign that the ultra-wealthy see a sports franchise as an investment almost guaranteed to accrue value.

Take a look at the past six pro teams to change ownership hands: the Rockets, valued by Forbes at $1.65 billion, sold for $2.2 billion; the Marlins, valued at $940 million, sold for $1.3 billion; the Seattle Mariners, valued at $1.2 billion, sold a 90% stake last year for $1.26 billion; the Brooklyn Nets, valued at $1.6 billion, sold for $1.7 billion in 2015; the Atlanta Hawks, valued at $825 million, sold for $850 million in 2015; and the Bills, valued at $935 million, sold for $1.1 billion in 2014.

You might say many of these buyers overpaid. But any of those teams could sell again in just a few years for more than the buyers paid.

Charlotte, NC, is not a top-20 media market, according to Nielsen. But the team has a recent history of excellence: winning the NFC South division four times in the last 10 years, and going to the Super Bowl in 2015.

Forbes values the Panthers at $2.3 billion. It would set a new sports franchise sale record if the team sold at that price, but it’s likely to sell for even higher, perhaps as high as $3 billion.

Of course, any celebrity or athlete could make a bid. And in the minutes after Richardson’s announcement broke, rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs tweeted out his interest in owning the team. He added that the NFL has no African-American majority owners, and said, “Let’s make history.”

Of course, if Kaepernick were to become an owner, his career as a quarterback would truly be over. There’s also Michael Jordan, who is a Charlotte local and already owns 90% of the Charlotte Hornets NBA team.

Regardless of who buys the Panthers and for how much, a new era is about to begin for the 24-year-old football franchise.

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Daniel Roberts is the sports business writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @readDanwrite.